C286 Darkmoon City Yu Yuan

Without so much as a glance at Wei Wujiang, Yu Yuan's gaze was fixed solely on Lee Yuangui as he declared his stance.

Wai Feng, her neck firmly in Yu Yuan's grasp, showed no sign of fear. Her eyes sparkled with intense gratitude as she looked at him, as though she preferred the prospect of dying by his hand over being taken away by her brother, Wei Wujiang.

"I..." Lee Yuangui was taken aback, his mouth agape, at a loss for words.

Clad in imposing golden armor, Wei Wujiang wore a frosty expression.

Wai Feng's life hung by a thread in Yu Yuan's grip; a rash move from him could end her instantly. Wei Wujiang had come in person to ensure her safe return; her death was not an option.

Unfamiliar with Yu Yuan's identity or temperament, Wei Wujiang dared not make a careless move.

Above the gilded treasure ship, one by one, the generals and high-level cultivators of the Divine Might Empire stepped forward from their watchful stance, revealing themselves.

A dignified woman in a silver cape, embroidered with seven pythons, emerged gracefully from the treasure ship. With her long black hair coiled high and her sleeves flowing loosely, she hovered in the air, extending her left hand from within her sleeve to point at the Cloud Sail.

Mysteriously, three of the seven embroidered pythons on her cape vanished. In the clear moonlight, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged, converging from all directions into three dense streams.

Each stream of spiritual energy morphed in the void, coalescing into a hundred-foot-long giant python. The pythons, as if endowed with intelligence, swirled through the mist around the Cloud Sail, exuding a ferocious and bloodthirsty presence.

Within the Cloud Sail, every cultivator from the Silvermoon Empire discovered they were unable to draw even a wisp of spiritual energy from the atmosphere.

The elegantly dressed woman, her lips curled in a disdainful cold smile, fixed her gaze on Lee Yuangui.

Lee Yuangui's spirit trembled as he swiftly surmised her identity, a bitter smile spreading across his face.

Upon the woman's arrival, Van Yan was visibly shaken, fear evident in his eyes. He could not hide it as he urgently rebuked Yu Yuan, "Young man! What are you doing? Release Wei Feng at once!"

Beside Yu Yuan and Wei Feng, Ning Ji and Bai Shenshen were also stunned.

How could he possibly dare?

The elite of the Silvermoon Empire watched in disbelief as Yu Yuan, now holding Wei Feng hostage, stood his ground against the Divine Might Empire's Wai Wujiang.

For many, this was their first encounter with Yu Yuan; until now, they had only heard whispers and rumors about him.

Those who had met Yu Yuan spoke of his brazen and reckless behavior after leaving Darkmoon City, how he flouted the interests of the Empire with his domineering and arrogant ways.

Seeing is believing, they say, and today, Yu Yuan certainly lived up to his infamous reputation.

But still...

With his Yellow Court Stage cultivation, was sheer audacity enough to stand against the Divine Might Empire's multitude of powerhouses and a revered figure like Wai Wujiang?

"Old General, let me say it again: I captured Wai Feng."

Yu Yuan's lips curled into a smile, unfazed by the three massive pythons encircling the Cloud Sail. He paid no mind to the elegantly dressed woman eyeing him with curiosity, focusing only on his conversation with Lee Yuangui, "Shouldn't Wai Feng be left to my discretion?"

"Hand her over to you? Are you hard of hearing?" Fan Yan erupted in rage. "The Old General has already nodded in agreement, promising to let the Divine Might Empire take Wai Feng back!"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, finally turning his gaze to Fan Yan and retorted, "And you are...?"

"Me!" Fan Yan's anger turned to mocking laughter, "You're just a greenhorn. I was battling for the empire in the north and south before you were even born! My Van family is a pillar of this nation. And you, a Yu family brat who can't even sell herbs, dare to speak to me this way?"

Wai Wujiang, observing someone from the Silvermoon Empire challenge Yu Yuan to release Wai Feng, actually relaxed.

He stepped back, wary that Yu Yuan might snap Wai Feng's neck in a fit of rage.

He even raised his hand, flashing a smug grin at Yu Yuan, and declared, "If my sister suffers the slightest harm, every cultivator from the Silvermoon Empire here today will share her fate."

At these words, the atmosphere aboard the Cloud Sail grew tense.

Those who had been silent spectators, waiting to see how things would unfold, now found their own lives linked to Wai Feng's. They either sought to persuade Lee Yuangui or implored Yu Yuan to remain calm.

Even Van Yan's confrontational stance toward Yu Yuan seemed justified to them now.

"Yu Yuan, you..."

The old general managed a wry smile, feeling a sense of helplessness. Considering Yu Yuan's formidable presence, he knew it wasn't worth risking everyone's lives for Wai Feng alone. He attempted to reason with Yu Yuan, "Let it go. I'm aware that Zhan Tianxiang, who fought alongside you in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, is your most trusted ally."

"He's recovered from his injuries. If we return from this place, he might be fully healed by now."

Lee Yuangui believed that Yu Yuan's intervention was driven by his friendship with Zhan Tianxiang and his desire to stand up for his friend.

"She belongs to me."

Yu Yuan reiterated firmly, then turned his gaze to Wai Wujiang, "Impressive. You must be a direct disciple of the Thunder Sect."

"Not just any disciple," Bai Shenshen of the Medicine Sect interjected softly, "but a direct disciple of the Thunder Sect's Master himself. You may even have a shot at vying for the Sect Master's seat in the future."

"Oh, that explains the arrogance," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod.

On the Profound Sky Continent, many talents are taken in by the sects from the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents, often only as outer disciples.

It's exceedingly rare for someone like Lim Zhuyun to be taken under the wing of a Great Elder.

Yet Wai Wujiang is not only a direct disciple but also the direct disciple of the Thunder Sect's Master!

His future status and position on the Heavenly Source Continent will far surpass that of Lim Zhuyun.

Being chosen by the current Sect Master of the Thunder Sect suggests that Wai Wujiang's standing within the sect might even eclipse that of Lei Xiao, promising a distinct future.

Hailing from the Wai family of the Divine Might Empire, Wai Wujiang's prospects are vast, with numerous supporters both within the empire and the Thunder Sect.

"You're Yu Yuan, of the Yu family from Darkmoon City, aren't you?"

Wai Wujiang grinned, then added, "I've long admired you! You might find this hard to believe, but I've actually been wanting to visit Darkmoon City myself, all the way from the Divine Might Empire."

"I want to see you, Yu Yuan."

This declaration landed like a bombshell, leaving many aboard the Cloud Sail reeling in shock.

In that moment, the elegant woman adorned in a silver cape embroidered with seven pythons also furrowed her brows and whispered to herself, "Darkmoon City, Yu Yuan..."

It seemed that even she was familiar with the name.

"How does Young Master Wei know of me?" Yu Yuan inquired, puzzled.

Van Yan, who had just fiercely debated with Yu Yuan, felt an uncomfortable twist in his gut at Wei Wujiang's words.

"I've heard about you," Wei Wujiang said with a radiant smile. "Wai Feng, I must take her with me. Brother Yu, I ask you to release her. I will escort my sister back to the Divine Might Empire, and we will keep to our own affairs. I, Wei Wujiang, acknowledge a debt of gratitude to you. Whether you come to the Divine Might Empire or visit the Heavenly Source Continent in the future, there will come a day when I shall repay this favor."

His demeanor had taken an unexpectedly mild turn.

Even those familiar with him on the gilding treasure ship found it astonishing.

How could Young Master Wei, the esteemed direct disciple of the Thunder Sect's Sect Master, who normally looked down on everyone, be so amiable toward a young man from Darkmoon City?

It was utterly out of character!

"Wai Feng, I won't kill her, but neither will I let you take her away."

Abruptly, Yu Yuan set Wei Feng down, his grip on her neck released. He nodded at Wei Wujiang, then his gaze snapped to the imposing beauty on the gilding treasure ship.

Her eyes sparkled with intrigue.

"Swish swish!"

Out of nowhere, the three pythons that had been slithering around the Cloud Sail began to shrink dramatically.

The fabric of the void shifted, layer upon layer, and in an instant, the gilding treasure ship and the Cloud Sail seemed separated by an infinite starry sea.

The regal woman stared at the Cloud Sail, which now appeared to be millions of miles distant.

It was as though it had been yanked onto a different temporal trajectory.

Even the three pythons, in that split second, seemed to sever their soulful link with her.

Her covertly cast soul threads, now like strands of crystalline silk, were mercilessly torn by an unseen force, by the invisible laws of the cosmos.

Wei Wujiang's face paled in horror.

To his eyes, the gilding treasure ship, crafted with the might of an entire nation, fluctuated between being as vast as the heavens and as tiny as a grain of rice, leaving him so disoriented he nearly retched.

He was completely unaware of what had transpired.

Only Lee Yuangui and Yan Yu, amidst the sudden changes in the void, recalled the familiar sensation they had experienced earlier and came to a sudden realization.

The child, clad in black and white, who had once appeared so fleetingly, had never truly departed.

He had remained ever-present alongside the Cloud Sail.

Yu Yuan spoke with a detached tone, "Master Wei, it's time for you to return."

Wai Wujiang, in a daze, gave a subconscious nod.

In the blink of an eye, he was startled to find himself aboard the gilded treasure ship, surrounded by familiar faces and objects, rather than Yu Yuan, Wei Feng, and the rest.

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